Metric spaces

Definition
Let X be a set and d: X X [0, ) a function such that

(i)
(ii)
(iii)

d(x, y) = d(y, x),

d(x, y) d(x, z) + d(z, y),
d(x, y) = 0 ifonlyif x = y.

(symmetry)
(triangleinequality)
(nondegeneracy)

The pair (X, d) is called a metric space and the function d is called a metric or distance on X .
A subset M X is called a subspace of X , (M, d) (X, d) , if it is endowed with the same metric
as X . The metric d is called the induced metric on M . Subspaces of metric spaces are
themselves metric spaces.
Ex.
Any set is a metric space when endowed with the discrete metric

d(x, y) :=

1,
{ 0,

x y,
x = y.

n is a metric space when endowed with the Euclidean distance

2

d(x, y) := |x y| = ((x1 y1 ) + + (x n yn )

2 1/2
)

The supremum norm induces a metric on the set of bounded and continuous
functions on an interval:

d(f , g) = f g = sup |f (x) g(x)|.

xI

This makes (BC(I, ), ) a metric space.

Normed spaces are metric spaces

If is a norm on X , then d(x, y) := x y is a metric on X .
Proof

The distance is non-negative and well defined, since

0 x y x + y < ,

d(x,y)

for

x, y (X, ).

Symmetry:
Triangleinequality:
Nondegeneracy:

d(x, y) = x y = y x = d(y, x).

d(x, y) = x y x z + z y = d(x, z) + d(z, y).
d(x, y) = x y = 0 x y = 0 x = y.

N.b. Metric spaces need not be vector spaces. The set of positive real numbers, + , with the
metric given by d(x, y) := |x y| is a metric space, but it is not a linear space, since it neither
contains an additive identity (0) nor additive inverses (x ).
Mats Ehrnstrm (/users/ehrnstro/start). This material is free for private use. Public sharing, online
publishing and printing to sell or distribute are prohibited.